Brian Coleman, an outspoken member of Boris Johnson's London administration, became engaged in a public spat with Grant Shapps, a rising star of the Coalition Government, after Mr Shapps condemned the "excessive" pay of local politicians.

This condemnation partly referred to the decision last week by the Barnet's Tory Councillors to award their top brass large increases in allowances. The move has inspired a glorious chorus of agitation in that borough's pulsating blogosphere. Here's Barnet Eye's Rog T:

Today the Barnet Eye declares war on the spongers and parasites of Barnet. Those people who's whole existence seems to be one of taking the piss at the expense of the taxpayer. We at the Barnet Eye believe that the taxpayers money is meant to be spent on providing good public services to the people of Barnet. We believe that taxpayers money should not be wasted on paying unnecessarily large allowances to people such as Brian Coleman...We believe it is outrageous that Barnet's Tory Councillors have voted for huge pay rises...and we are committed to ensuring that all spongers and parasites such as these are put into the public spotlight.

The hikes in question are certainly luxurious. Barnet leader Lynne Hillan voted herself a 55 percent increase to over £54,000 per year. The allowances of Coleman and other cabinet members practically doubled to close to £35,000.

Marcus Dysch of the Jewish Chronicle, who used to cover council affairs for the Hendon Times, has weighed in as fiercely as the bloggers:

Absolutely nothing that those councillors do could ever possibly justify pay rises of such a nauseating level. Such a move would have been highly questionable if taken during times of full and plenty. Now, in the austerity age, as dramatic cuts to spending loom on the horizon, it stinks.

Coleman, as ever, is indignantly unrepentant. Named by the Telegraph as one of a bunch of Councillors entitled to claim sums of over £100,000 a year from their various local government posts, he retorted: "I don't have to justify what I earn. Councillors are worth every penny they earn."

The Barnet Tory group's rationale for their actions can be located in the relevant officers' paper (look at item 5.3). This sets out the recommendation of a London Councils reviews panel that councillors with special responsibilities should receive considerably enhanced financial compensation to reflect their increasing workloads. Not every Barnet Tory was persuaded by this case, however. Councillor Kate Salinger abstained and was duly removed from every forum, panel and committee she sat on as punishment for her indiscipline.

There is a strong argument for rewarding councillors properly for responsible hard work, but ponder this observation by Salinger:

I couldn't vote for an increase in pay when public sector staff face a pay freeze, there are redundancies in many departments and people in the wider community are losing their jobs and having wages cut. It is not the time to put money up.

Hard to quarrel with that - unless, of course, you're one of Salinger's fellow Tory councillors.